Nursing-bottle-supporting apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. GILL. NURSING BOTTLE SUPPORTING APPARATUS.- 1%.. 543,150.

Patented July 23, 1895.

WITNEEEEE.

INVENTE] wig-Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NURSlNG-BOTTLE-SUPPORT|NG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,150, dated July 23, 1895.

Application filed June 29, 1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GILL, resid 'ing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Nursing-Bottle-Supporting Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and nu mer- 'adapted for use with cradles and is capable of being adjusted to present the nipple of the nursing-bottle to the infant in various posi+ tions in the cradlethat is, when the infant is lying on its back, or on either side, or when in a sitting position-and the said apparatus is also so constructed as to maintain the nipple and bottle in position within reach of the infant after the said nipple is ejected from the mouth of the infant.

The apparatus is preferably'constructed so as to leave one side of the cradle unobstructed to permit the infant to be readily reached by the mother or attendant, and is further so constructed as to permit it to be turned out of the way when not in use.

The apparatus while particularly adapted to be used with cradles may be applied to chairs and other supports.

In accordance with this invention the apparatus comprises, essentially, a suspended bottle-holder adj ust'able, as will be described, and apreferably-adjustable frame from which the said bottle-holder is suspended.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents in elevation a bottlesupporting apparatus embodying this invention and shown as applied to a support represented as a cradle shown in transverse section partially broken out Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the form of bottle-holder preferred by me looking down from the line 2 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a detail of the bottle-holder shown in Fig. 2, showing the same in condition to receive a nursing-bottle; Fig. 4, a sectional de- Serial No. 516,078- (No model.)

tail on the line 4 4, Fig. 1, to be referred to, and Fig. 5 a detail to be referred to.

Referring to Fig. 1 A represents a cradle,

which may be of anyusual or suitable conmember a preferably a bar or rod, which is adjustably secured to the upright member oz by suitable means,herein shown as acage A, which for the best results is made of a wire rod bent in substantially triangular shape and comprising the vertical bar 2, the horizontal bar 3, and the inclined bar 4, the horizontal bar 3 being bent to form loops 5 6, corresponding to the cross-section of the rod or member a, and through which the said member a of the frame is inserted.

The vertical bar 2 of the triangular cage A may be attached to the upright member a of the supporting-frame by staples 7 8, so that the cage A may turn on the staples 7 8 as pivots in an arc of about one hundred and eighty degrees. The triangular cage A is at tached to the upright member a near its upper end, so that the horizontally-disposed member'w, when inserted through the loops 5 6 of the cage, may rest upon and be sup ported by the upper end of the upright a The horizontally-disposed member a has suspended from it ahollow bottle-holding device b, which for the best results is made of a substantially cylindrical piece of tubing, preferably composed in whole or in part of rubber or other flexible material, Whichtubing is preferably provided on one side with a longitudinal slit 1), (see Fig. 3,) adapted to be distended or opened to permit of the insertion of the rear portion'of nursing-bottle b which latter may be of any suitable or usual construction and having the nipple b The flexible or elastic holder b may and preferably will be suspended by means of a cord Z2 provided at one end with a clasp b and having its other end passed through an eye Z2, secured to the horizontal member a, and thence passed about a spool 6 which I prefer to designate as the tension device, thence through the eye b attached to the arm or member a, and thence loosely through the eye of a clasp b", and the said cord may then be carried up to and secured to the arm or member 0, in any suitable or desired manner, it being preferably slipped between a finger b and the arm or member a, the finger 17 being secured to the said member in any suitable manner.

The clasps b b are adapted to engage suitable devices 11 I), secured to the holder 1) near its opposite ends. The devices b b may be made in the form of coiled springs, having their opposite ends inserted through the ma terial of the holder 17 or otherwise caught or fastened thereto, or they may be made of spirally-shaped wire or of independent projections attached to the holder 1). These devices permit the clasps b to be engaged with any desired one of their turns or coils in order to obtain the proper horizontal position of the bottle when inserted into the holder.

By means of the cord 1) the bottle I) may be raised and lowered to readily adjust the bottle-holder and its bottle the suitable or desired distance above the cradle, and after the bottle-holder has been adjusted the desired height above the cradle, which height may be termed .its normal position, the operator may tip or incline the bottle-holder b and its contained bottle toward the right or left- (viewing Fig. 1) by the adjustment of the two legs 20 30 of the cord, and when so adjusted angularly with relation to its normal position the bottle-holder is retained in its adjusted position by means of the tension device b This feature is of special advantage, inasmuch as the bottle-holder b may be adjusted so as to carry the bottle and its nipple into correct position to permit the child to 'nurse while inclining on either side, whereas when the child is lying on its back the bottleholder may and preferably will be adjusted into its normal horizontal position, it being lowered sufficiently to place the nipple within easy reach of the mouth of the child.

The bottle-holder b, on its side opposite to the slit 1), may be provided with a loop or handle 0, by which the said holder may be suspended from a hook 0, carried by the arm a when the bottle-holder is not in use. In some instances it may be desired to provide the bottle-holder with means for assisting the natural flexibility of the material of which the bottle-holder is composed to grasp or hold the bottle and thereby prevent dislodgement of the bottle from its holder by restless children, as by a knock or sudden movement. In the present instance I have represented the holder b as provided on opposite sides of the slit 1) with substantially small loops 0 0 through which may pass rubber bands 0 0 adapted to be passed about the neck of the bottle b as represented in Fig. 2.

In order to render the supporting-frame easy of attachment to the cradle, I prefer to employ the fastening devices shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the upright member a has fastened to it a block (1 of wood or other suitable material having two holes through which extend two legs of a wire hook or loop 01, having its front end bent downward substantially at right angles to engage the longitudinal side bar a of the cradle, and the two legs of the hook dareinserted through holes in the upright a and are'preferablybent into substantially rectangular form on the rear side of the upright a to receive a wedgeshaped block d attached to the upright memher a but having a vertical movement thereon. This attachment may be effected by means of a bent piece of wire 01 secured to the wedge (Z and forming a slot, through which extends a screw 01 The lower longitudinal side bar a of the cradle is also engaged by a hooking device 01 preferably made as shown in Fig. 5, it consisting of a loop of wire bent to form two vertical members 40 4t and a connected horizontal member 42, the two parts of the horizontal member being separated sufficiently to permit the upright a to be passed through or between them, and the upright member 40 being made of sufficient height to engage the inner sideof the longitudinal side bar a, as represented in Fig. 1. The vertical member 41 is preferably secured by a spiral spring 61 to a hook or projection 61 attached to the upright bar a. The spring 01 serves to keep the hook d in engagement with the lower side bar of the cradle, and at the same time it permits the said hook to be readily disengaged from the said side bars by lowering the hook sufficiently to clear the vertical member 40 from the side bar ai In operation the arm 01, is movable through the cage a, and when the said arm has been extended the desired or required distance across the cradle the bottle-holder b is adjusted into its normal position, and when so adjusted the cord d is made fast'in any suitable manner, as by passing it between the bar Z9 and the member a. The bottle-holder may then be adjusted by movement of the legs 20 30 of the cord, if it is so desired. Furthermore, by reason of the cage A being pivoted,as described, to the upright er the arm a may be moved so as to extend obliquely across the cradle, and when the apparatus is not in use the member a of the supportingframe may be turned so as to extend in the direction of the length of the cradle, or into a position substantially at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1, thereby removing the bottleholder from over the cradle and leaving the latter unobstructed, so that the mother may readily remove the child from the cradle.

t'to

' varying thickness.

By means of the wedge d the hook 01' may be adjusted to cradles having side bars of The apparatus is herein shown as applied to a cradle; but it may also be attached to a chair, table, or other support-as, for instance, by tying or lashing the upright member a to said support.

By reason of the bottle-holder being suspended the bottle will return to its proper or adjusted position in case the nipple is ejected from the mouth of the infant, so that if the child should lose its hold on the nipple it could regain it again after the bottle-holder has come to a position of rest.

In some instances it may be desired to secure theapparatus to a support such, for instance, as a door, the side of a wall, or other practically-stationary support, and this may be accomplished by securing the upright a to the door or other support and reversing the position of the arm (v -that is, inserting it into the cage A from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1', or the upright a may be dispensed with and the arm a pivotally secured to the door or other support. Furthermore, I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular construction of arm a and upright a nor to any particular manner of pivotally securing the arm a I claim- '1. In a support for nursing bottles, the combination with a horizontally disposed arm, of a flexible suspension consisting of a cord or like flexible b'odysecured to said arm to form depending legs 2030-and capable of adjustment to vary the length of the said legs with relation to the said arm and to each other, a

nursing bottle and provided with devices at or near its ends for attachment to the flexible suspension, and means carried by the legs 20-30, to detachably engage the said devices and permit of horizontal adjustment of the bottle holder, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a cradle, of a bottle supporting apparatus comprising an upright member secured to the cradle, a horizontally disposed arm or member secured to the upright member and adjustable longitudinally thereon, a flexible suspension b socured to the said horizontal arm to form legs 20-30 and capable of adjustment to vary the length of the said legs with relation to the said arm and to each other, a hollow bottle holder to receive the nursing bottle and provided with devices at or near its ends for attachment to said flexible suspension, and clasps carried by the legs 20-30, to detachably engage the said devices and permit of horizontal adjustment of the bottleholder, substantially. as described.

3. In a support for nursing bottles, a horizontally disposed arm provided with eyesb b and with a tension device, a bottle holder, and a flexible support connected to the said holder and engaging the said eyes and tension device, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM GILL.

Witnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

